Six years ago
September 1
Los Angeles
Raine Kendall held her breath as she waited for Macen “Hammer” Hammerman to touch her. He prowled closer. She swallowed, her insides feeling jittery. In seconds, his hands would be on her.
Then it came, his touch. She jolted when he cupped her shoulder, just as she had the first time. Except when his fingers curled around her now, it wasn’t fear that made her tremble.
“Precious?”
She loved the way he called her—and no one else—that.
Raine leaned closer, her heart racing, as he studied her for a long, silent moment. She resisted the urge to fidget under his intense hazel stare. “What’s up?”
He set a guiding hand at the small of her back and led her into his office, gesturing her to the chair opposite his big desk. “Sit. Let’s talk.”
Her insides pinged with foreboding. She was a seventeen-year-old runaway, and he had taken her in off the streets three weeks ago. Who did that out of the goodness of their heart? Only a saint. Admittedly, she didn’t know Hammer well. So far he’d been great…but he was hardly a contender for a halo or his own holiday. And why would a bachelor with a busy life volunteer to finish raising an almost-grown kid with a chip on her shoulder?
The short answer? He wouldn’t.
Damn it, once he tossed her out, where would she go? Back home was not an option…
Raine sucked in a calming breath and prayed for the best. So far, Hammer had fed, sheltered, and comforted her, never taking his watchful eye off her. And true to his word, he had kept her safe from—
No, she refused to think about him.
God, she didn’t want to leave here. For the first time in years—maybe a decade—she felt blessedly safe. How would she give that up?
Maybe she could make a pitch to convince Hammer to let her stay. Everyone had a price, right?
She froze, feeling incredibly stupid. No, naive. That’s what this chat was about. Hammer intended to tell her what he wanted in return for all the consideration and care he’d shown her. He hadn’t asked her for anything—yet. But of course, nothing in life was free. Everyone wanted something.
The only thing she had to give him was her V-card.
It was probably a fair price for taking on the role of her strong, stalwart protector. And it wasn’t as if climbing between the sheets with him would be a hardship. He was fucking gorgeous. And Raine suspected he’d make it good since he seemed thorough and capable in everything he did. Besides, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t curious.
At least she now knew why high school guys had never interested her. They were boys. Macen Hammerman was a man. Sure, he was older than her, probably by a dozen years or so. And he owned a kink club. Apparently, he liked to spank women or whatever. She didn’t completely understand that stuff. But he’d definitely proven dependable, patient, concerned, tender, and completely hands-off.
At least until now.
Raine wasn’t really down with selling herself. But if she had to choose between his bed or the streets? No contest. She’d pick Macen. She would just respect him less.
She sat, watching with clammy palms as he rounded the desk to his own chair. The heat of his hand was like a brand on her skin.
It wasn’t the first time his touch had lingered with her.
The night he’d taken her in, she’d stumbled into the alley behind his club, Shadows, too injured to go on. It had been hot. Though the concrete had reeked of urine and rotting garbage, Raine had preferred the gag-worthy stench over the swagger of local pimps searching the dark streets for fresh flesh to peddle. Nor had she wanted to tangle with the drug dealers seeking another customer to addict. Two blocks away, she’d seen a gang initiate a new member by beating the hell out of him, then passing his resistant girlfriend around for the rest of them to use.
Raine had run as far and fast as she could, given her bruising and what she suspected were cracked ribs. She’d hidden, crouched in the dark safety behind Hammer’s dumpster, where the light overhead looked as if someone had thrown a rock and broken the bulb. There, she’d dry heaved, since she hadn’t had actual food in her belly to lose. The involuntary spasms had hurt like a bitch.
That had been nothing compared to the heart-stopping moment Hammer had opened his back door, trash bag in hand, and caught sight of her.
Heart thudding, breath all but stopped, she’d felt terror roll through her when he bent to cup her shoulder. She’d expected the worst. He’d been nothing but gentle as he’d offered her a hot meal.
She’d refused—immediately and more than once. But Raine was learning fast that Hammer could be very persuasive. And he persisted until he got his way.